Veritas
by deleria
Summary: The truth reveals itself differently to each person. For some it's an epiphany, sudden and surprising. For others it's simply an extension of what has always been there, just unnamed and not clearly defined. This is (possibly) a five-part fic featuring snapshots in time as two people see that truth, accept it and (eventually) embrace it. LuNa
1. Nami

**Author's Note:** Part one is set immediately after everyone goes flying, courtesy of Kuma Airlines. It is a very introspective piece since Nami is alone when she's sent flying.

 **Veritas** (Latin): truth.

 **Disclaimer:** Nope. I don't own One Piece. Eiichiro Oda does. If you're wanting to financially compensate someone for anything 'One Piece' related throw your cash at him. He deserves it. I'm just doing this for fun because I'm a huge nerd (obviously).

* * *

 **.: Veritas :.**  
part one

The roar of the wind was deafening. The first few hours she could barely hear herself screaming over the sound of it as the land and sea raced by so far below. Night was long in passing when Nami eventually settled into a dull haze of fear and weariness. Throat painfully raw and body exhausted, the events that led to her current predicament kept replaying themselves in her mind, taunting her. The human auctioning house, Luffy's actions against the Celestial Dragons to protect Keimi, the Navy, the sudden appearance of the human weapons known as 'Pacifistas' — and then the arrival of the warlord who made the girl from Thriller Bark vanish, Kuma.

Whatever his Devil Fruit power was it seemed to be remarkably cruel. It was torturous to be sent flying in the air with no idea of when, or how, it would end, but she was pretty certain that it wouldn't end well. Far better to be killed outright than to have fear constantly gnawing away at one's mind. She wondered if the time spent flying was supposed to be some sort of twisted attempt at kindness, an opportunity for the soon-to-be-dead to make peace with themselves and their creator. Maybe she was supposed to review her life, her choices and find some kind of inner peace. Then, as soon as that moment of calm came — BOOM! — her body would slam into the ground and she'd be dead.

Or, maybe spending the last several hours in a panic had simply warped her brain. She couldn't be certain.

Either way, she didn't want to die, but she felt there was simply no way to avoid it. So high up in the air and traveling so fast, all alone, and with no means to safely return to earth — how could she survive? Kuma had likely sent them all to their death.

' _I should have run._ '

The thought sprang up from seemingly out of nowhere and tears immediately stung her eyes. ' _I should have listened to him,_ ' she thought as the memory of her captain's expression just before Kuma touched her filled her mind.

That one moment, that single second, had burned itself into her brain. If she lived beyond this experience, she would never forget it — that look of horror and pain on Luffy's face — the helplessness that shone in his eyes when she called out to him for help. It was the one time, the _only_ time, he had been unable to help her. Legs paralyzed by fear and unable to move, Nami had counted on him to do the impossible, to save her like he always had.

And he couldn't.

She knew, without any doubt in her mind, she _knew_ he blamed himself for that and he shouldn't. Squeezing her eyes shut, she thought of his desperate order for them to run, but all she could do was stand wide-eyed with disbelief as Zoro vanished. Franky had tried in vain to get to her to run, but shock had her rooted in place. It was all happening so fast she felt like her brain was stumbling over itself trying to process it all.

Seconds later, Brook was gone, too. Then Usopp. Sanji, enraged, charged at Kuma, only to meet the same fate as the others. The empty places her friends had just been made her blood feel thick and cold as Chopper's terrible roar filled her ears. This was the end of them, she was certain. This was how they were all going to die. Zoro and Sanji were both so strong and defeated so easily, what hope was there? Even Luffy saw it. Why else would he beg them to run?

The sudden loss of Franky and the looming form of Kuma towering over her snapped her back into the moment. It was her turn now. She turned her eyes instinctively toward Luffy and asked him to save her, knowing even as she said it that he couldn't. The look in his eyes cut through her and in the split second before Kuma touched her, she hated herself for asking him, for hurting him.

And then, she was flying.

' _I won't do that to him again._ '

As the first few hints of dawn began to lighten the sky, she caught sight of a distant island on the horizon, it's mountainous landscape tipped with snow and haloed by low clouds. It was unfamiliar to her, but for some reason she felt that she was now higher in the air than she had been the day before. How that was possible she didn't know, but the absurdity of her situation caused her to burst out into a manic laughter. It was a brittle, harsh sound that she knew marked the beginnings of hysteria. She had to reign in her thoughts, calm her emotions, force herself to think, if she wanted to maintain her sanity.

Part of her wondered why she should bother. Why not just give in to fear and crumble apart? Who would know? Who would care? After all, if she continued to climb much higher, the air would be too thin to breathe and she'd suffocate. Or, she would simply freeze to death. Or, she could just continue like this for days and days and starve. Or, she could just slam into the ground or ocean and die on impact.

Death seemed so imminent — why resist being afraid?

' _Luffy wouldn't be afraid.'_

Her throat tightened as soon as the thought entered her mind. No, Luffy would likely be angry. And he wouldn't want her to be afraid, either. A friend of the future Pirate King shouldn't be afraid of anything. He'd want her to resist, to be strong. For his sake, she decided, she'd trust that somehow things would be okay. She would not give in to panic.

So she let her mind continue to recall her time as a Straw Hat Pirate. It was strange to review her memories under the oppressive weight of her own mortality. Under Arlong she feared pain, but she knew he wouldn't kill her. She was too valuable to him. Under Luffy she felt near invincible because somehow, some way, he always managed to do the impossible. But now, alone and powerless, she felt time compress around her as though she had suddenly aged seventy years and had nothing to look forward to.

There was so much that she took for granted. All the laughter, all the fun, all the excitement... There could be no more tomorrows, no more chances to do or say all the things she wanted to. She might never see her sister again, or Genzo, or East Blue. She might never taste another tangerine or draw another map or get to sun herself on the Thousand Sunny, or explore a new island with her nakama. Worse, she might never see them again — Zoro, Chopper, Usopp, Robin, Franky, Sanji, Brook...

She might never see _Luffy_ again. She might never see his face-splitting grin or hear his joyous snicker that always managed to make everyone around him smile, too. She might never get to watch him steal food from every plate at the dinner table to the annoyance of all, only to risk his own life hours later in order to protect his nakama.

The more she thought of him, the tighter her chest felt and she soon found a certain truth long ignored easily blossoming within her heart.

She loved him.

It was ridiculously obvious when the realization came to her during the sunset on the second day, the sky painted in the warm hues of red and orange, that she couldn't help but to smile. She'd always known that she had strong feelings for him, an affection that she rarely expressed because his reckless antics tended to drive her crazy — but the way her heart clenched as she thought of him, worried over him, regretted her role in hurting him by not listening, by not being strong enough, by always, always needing him to save her...

She _loved_ him; so much so that the more she let herself think about it, the more willing she was to be honest with herself, the easier it became to trace back the how and when. It was a gradual thing, she knew that for certain. A slow build that began with the tiniest of cracks, a sliver of possibility, that morphed into something she had been unconsciously denying to herself for months.

It started, of course, when he saved her from Arlong. Looking back on it now, she felt like an idiot for not recognizing the path she had set herself on sooner. She was a navigator, for crying-out-loud. She was supposed to be the expert at knowing where they were going and what was ahead, but clearly not when it came to her own foolish heart. The signs had always been there. He was such an idiot. So foolhardy and impossible and overly adventurous and enthusiastically happy all the damn time. He was always grinning, always laughing, always so carefree and bursting with confidence. He trusted so easily, believed so completely and protected so fiercely...

How could she _not_ fall in love with him?

It was stupid of her to think that he was "just a friend" and nothing more. Just a friend who was frustrating and idiotic and who also just happened to be someone that she trusted implicitly and would follow anywhere he led. There was a time when she really believed that any affection she felt toward him was just a fondness born out of admiration and a very healthy dose of gratitude.

She snorted to herself. Those excuses felt painfully thin when she examined herself in light of the truth. After all, when was the last time she dedicated herself, wholeheartedly, to a group or a cause with such devotion as she did to Luffy and his crew? (Now _her_ crew, too.)

Nami knew the answer to that, it came to her the instant the thought filled her mind — it was when Arlong took over _everything_. It was when she decided that she would do anything to protect the people she loved, even if it meant working for the devil himself. She took his mark and hated herself for it. And when all hope seemed lost, she let that hate consume her. Wanting nothing more than to destroy the taint that Arlong had forced upon her skin, she stabbed herself. Over and over again, deep and jagged, blood everywhere, but she didn't see it. Didn't feel it. All she saw was Arlong, lips stretched wide and cruel to reveal his perfectly white, perfectly sharp teeth. The more she remembered his smile, his raucous laughter, the more she hated herself.

She couldn't hurt Arlong, but she could destroy his mark upon her body. She could rip that representation of him to shreds. And she did, until Luffy stopped her.

His hand wrapped around her wrist seemed to bring back into the moment and she realized what she was doing and what was about to happen to the people she loved. The only one who had any chance to stop it was holding her hand. Tears blurring her vision, she felt the tiniest bit of hope break through her despair. It was like seeing a distant oasis in the middle of endless desert. Her heart fluttered with longing and she desperately wanted to wrap herself around it, but years of pain, abuse and disappointment flooded to the forefront of her mind.

No one could help her. To trust in him meant to watch more people she cared about suffer and she couldn't bear that. Her only chance was to beg Arlong's forgiveness and hope that he would spare some of them. But first, she had to get rid of Luffy.

"You don't know anything!" She remembered screaming at him. "You don't know what's been happening on this island for the past eight years!"

And he didn't. More than that, he didn't seem to care to.

"I told you to leave!"

He knew that, too. Still, he didn't listen.

"Leave!" She demanded, her voice breaking as despair began to overwhelm her. "Get lost! Go!"

But he stood there, silently watching her as tears rolled down her cheeks and blood poured from her shoulder. Just stood there, silent and motionless. Watching. Waiting.

Perhaps it was the silence, the unobtrusive way he waited for her, that finally broke through the layers of fear in her heart and forced her to squeak out her most ardent wish.

"Luffy... help me."

And then his hat was on her head. It was such a simple act on his part, so subtle yet profound. It was as he was walking away that she remembered the value that he placed upon that hat. It was something he once referred to as his _'treasure.'_ Now it was hers. Her comfort, her hope, her treasure.

She could see it all so clearly now, flying through the air, her mouth and nose impossibly dry as her stomach clenched painfully from lack of food. It was that moment, with his hat on her head and his promise that he would help her, that the seed had been planted in her heart. With that simple act and life-changing promise, Nami began to fall in love with him. She smiled at the memory, her body tingling with warmth as she let it wash over her.

Nami swore to herself then, as darkness began to close around her, that if she lived through this she would find Luffy again. She would be what he needed her to be. She would make sure she never saw that look of horror and pain on his face again because she couldn't defend herself, because she didn't listen to him. His dream was her dream and she would stand by him, always, and do whatever she could to help him achieve it.

* * *

 _~ to be continued ~ **  
**_

 **AN:** I pulled from manga 512  & 513 and it appears that the only person that got to hear how Kuma's powers worked was Luffy when Sentoumaru told him. So the others, presumably, don't know because they weren't close enough to hear.

So I thought, _'Those three days flying through the air would be torture for them. They were all probably waiting to die and always wondering when it would happen._ ' And since Luffy was conscious while he was flying through the air (for at least part of the time), I'm assuming the others were, too.

Anyway, my point is, when people are certain they're gonna die, their perspective on life usually has a dramatic shift. Hence Nami's sudden realization. :)

Hope you guys enjoyed. :D Please leave a review and let me know what you thought!


	2. Luffy

**Author's Note:** part two is set not long after Rayleigh begins to train Luffy. It was inspired by manga issue 514, page 10.

* * *

 **.: Veritas :.**  
part two

He awoke with a start, skin clammy and cold as his heart pounded hard in his chest. The urge to fight, to protect, surged through his veins, setting his nerves on fire as tears stung his eyes. ' _A dream,_ ' he told himself as he swallowed hard. Looking down at his hands he realized he was trembling.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he dipped his chin down toward his chest and tried to let the moment wash over him. Breathing slow and deep, he filled his lungs with oxygen and the smells of the forest around him as he pushed the nightmare from his mind. Birds chirped far overhead, a breeze ruffled the canopy of leaves above him and only a few yards away Rayleigh was quietly humming to himself as he cooked breakfast over an open fire.

The familiar sounds and smells loosened tense muscles as the nightmare slowly retreated from his mind. All at once, the world started to feel normal again, more colorful. The smell of food made his stomach growl as his mouth automatically began to salivate. Food, he decided, was exactly what he needed to shake off the lingering effects of his dream completely. A full belly always made him feel better.

Rubbing the tears from his eyes, he threw back his bedding and bounced to his feet. Lips curled upward into a face-splitting grin, he quickly moved toward the cooking fire as he eyed the food waiting to be devoured.

"No," Rayleigh said, causing him to stop short of his goal. Back pointed toward him, the old man tended to his meal without sparing his pupil a glance. "You reek, Luffy. Go take a bath first."

An indignant whine sounded from that back of Luffy's throat as his stomach loudly protested. "I'm hungry," he said, voice petulant and more than a little whiny.

"Your body odor is already ruining my breakfast." Pointing to a pack of supplies that Hancock had insisted they take, he ordered, "Get clean. Use _soap_. Then, you can eat."

With a defeated sigh, Luffy grabbed the pack, threw in a change of clothes and headed toward the river not far from their camp. He sniffed himself as he walked — the collar of his vest, his right armpit followed by his left — it was true, he did stink. The last time he took a bath, a _real_ bath and not a quick rinse-off under the waterfall, was probably a week ago, maybe. He didn't see the point in regularly bathing when they were doing intensive training on an uninhabited island. He was going to get dirty, again, probably in only a couple of hours, so why bother with regular baths?

Stripping down to his bare skin, he waded into the water until it came up to his knees as he made his way toward the waterfall, careful to avoid the deeper section near the center. The waterfall was divided thanks to a large boulder at the top of the cliff forcing most of the water to left, but creating a smaller waterfall on the right. He carefully maneuvered himself toward it, mindful of each step he took so as to not slip and sink like a stone.

He stood under the smaller waterfall for as long as he could stand the cascade of cold, then took a step forward, into the morning sunshine. Teeth chattering and skin covered in goosebumps, he stretched his arm toward shore to grab soap and a washcloth, then immediately began to lather himself. The scent of the soap wafted up to him — coconut, warm and sweet, and far too girly — much to Rayleigh's annoyance.

Hancock had insisted, almost demanded, that she be allowed to bring them some supplies every few weeks. Rayleigh was quick to argue with her, reminding her that Luffy was there to train and that wasn't going to happen if she babied him. In the end, the two reached a compromise. Hancock could leave supplies on the beach where they landed every three months, but that was it. No visits, no accidental run-ins — just drop off the supplies and go. Hancock agreed and the next day dozens of supply packs, filled to near-bursting, were left for them.

The old man had grumbled loudly when he went through the packs. Soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste and toothbrushes, face wash, razors, bandages and gauze, various medicines, ointments and creams, toilet paper, combs, lip balm, sunscreen, cologne, extra clothes, towels, blankets, pillows, two folding chairs... it got to the point that Luffy could barely contain himself from laughing so hard at all the ridiculous things that Hancock thought they needed. Lip balm and cologne, really? And what in the world was conditioner for?

"Damn coddling woman," Rayleigh had muttered as he dumped out one pack after another, sorting most of it into the 'trash pile' for the women to pick up and take with them when they visited next. Truth be told, a lot of the supplies turned out to be a godsend. Toilet paper, for example, certainly made things more comfortable. And the extra blankets were nice to have, too. The other stuff was pretty stupid, but some of it actually useful and he was glad for it.

Freshly scrubbed and thoroughly rinsed with the scent of coconuts heavy in his nostrils, Luffy returned to shore. He twisted his body tightly, curling himself around and around like a corkscrew until the coil reached his neck. Then he let loose, his upper body spinning in a dizzying circle that forced the excess water on his skin to fly off as he dried himself. Satisfied, he toweled off the remaining dampness, then pulled on a fresh change of clothes before gathering his things and heading back to camp.

"Your share is about ready," Rayleigh called out to him when he came within sight of the encampment. Five large fish were skewered over the fire, just moments away from being perfectly crisp and delicious. Too hungry to wait, Luffy picked up his pace as he reached his arm out toward the fire and snatched a fish, devouring it in an instant. Rayleigh grinned as he put another pair of fish over the fire to cook.

"No need to rush, Luffy," he said. "We still have plenty of daylight left for training."

He nodded as he devoured a third fish whole, then reached for a bowl of rice and started to cram it in his mouth. Sitting back in his seat, Rayleigh folded his arms over his chest as he quietly observed Luffy, his gaze thoughtful.

"Tell me about Nami," he said.

"She's our navigator," Luffy answered around a mouth full of food.

Rayleigh nodded. "Tell me about her."

Luffy swallowed and reached for something to drink. Rayleigh had been questioning him about each member of his crew every couple of weeks or so. First it was Zoro, how they met, what he was like, how strong he was. Then it was Sanji, what did he do, how did he fight, who trained him. Then it was Robin's turn and he got to tell him about Crocodile and Enies Lobby. The day he asked about Franky had turned into hours of story-telling about the adventures that the Gol D. Roger's pirates had on board the Oro Jackson once Rayleigh found out he had been Tom's apprentice. Two weeks ago he had asked about Chopper, and today it was Nami's turn.

The memory of the nightmare from that morning flashed through his mind and his stomach clenched uncomfortably. He didn't really want to talk about her. Not because he didn't like talking about her, he just didn't want to be reminded of his dreams and the last time he saw her.

"Where did you meet?" Rayleigh prompted.

"East Blue. She stole something from Buggy," he said and Rayleigh smirked upon hearing the familiar name. "He was pretty angry with her so she teamed up with me for a while, then she tricked me and turned me over to Buggy to make him happy. He tried to kill me with a canon, but Nami saved me. Burned herself doing it, too."

Rayleigh lifted a brow. "How?"

He shoved two more fish in his mouth, then said, "Put the fuse out with her bare hands."

"After that, she joined your crew?" he asked.

Luffy nodded as he continued to fill his mouth with food. Rayleigh asked him about her skills as a navigator and her abilities overall. He seemed intrigued that she could sense even the most minor change in the weather. He hadn't realized that was a rare gift until Rayleigh told him that it was. Luffy told him about the time they went to the Sky Islands and how she figured out how to ride the updraft. Rayleigh was impressed by that, too. Then Luffy told him about how she safely guided them around the swarm of whirlpools that surrounded the Going Merry when the Gates of Justice at Enies Lobby were closed. Rayleigh called her a prodigy then — especially considering she was still just a 'rookie navigator.' Luffy hadn't thought it was such a big deal until the old man commented on it and he couldn't help but to grin. He'd always known that Nami was a great navigator, but to see Rayleigh so thoroughly impressed with her made his heart swell with pride. Happily full, the Straw Hat captain sighed as he sat back and patted his belly.

"You have a relationship with her?" Rayleigh asked after a beat of silence.

"A relationship?"

"More than friends," Rayleigh clarified as he put a pot of water on the fire to boil. The younger man tilted his head at him in obvious confusion, so he tried again. "Is Nami your girlfriend?"

Luffy peered at Rayleigh as though he had just asked the stupidest question ever conceived. "Well, yeah," he said. "She's a _girl_ and a _friend_ , so 'girlfriend.'"

The corners of his lips quirked upward as the old man's eyes shined in amusement, "Ah, so you're sleeping together. Having sex. You're a 'couple,' as it were."

Luffy's eyes widened. "S- sex?! What...? No!"

Rayleigh grinned and asked, "What about the others?"

"What about them?" he grumbled, making a face. "I'm not having sex with them, either."

Rayleigh chuckled as Luffy frowned at him. "I meant, is she with another member of your crew," he said. "Intimately."

"No."

"You're sure?" Rayleigh asked.

Luffy narrowed his eyes at the man, wondering where he was going with this. "Yes."

"I thought not," he remarked to himself. "Well, that's good for you."

The old man stood and retrieved a teapot and cup, then settled himself back down in his seat. Pouring the hot water into the teapot to steep, he said, "Your nightmare from this morning was about Nami. You called out to her in your sleep. It's not the first time."

Luffy felt his pulse quicken at the mention of his dreams. He dreamed about Nami fairly frequently since their separation, but he hadn't realized he'd been calling out to her. He just knew that the dreams were all basically the same. Sometimes she would simply vanish, other times she'd die, horrible and bloody, but every time he'd suddenly wake up, body drenched in sweat, heart thundering in his chest as fear raced through his veins.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Luffy frowned. He really didn't want to talk about this, and definitely didn't want to think about it. He'd rather train, get stronger and do what he could to prevent any of his friends from being taken away from him again.

"I take it you've been dreaming about what Kuma did," Rayleigh said. "About him making her disappear."

Luffy swallowed hard and nodded. He didn't care to correct him on the specifics. There was no need to tell him about his most recent dream, which somehow included Arlong and Akainu. The nightmare ended with her bleeding out in his arms as Chopper kept saying, ' _There's nothing you can do, there's nothing you can do._ ' The whole thing felt painfully familiar to how Ace died and a shutter moved through him at the thought.

"Do you dream about the others?" Rayleigh asked as he filled his cup.

"Sometimes. Not always."

Sipping his tea, Rayleigh waited for him to continue.

"Sometimes we're all together," Luffy said, "in different places. Then something goes wrong and..." his voice trailed off as he curled his hands into fists. "And then Nami... she calls out to me for help and I— I _can't_ …"

"You dream about Ace, too."

Luffy gave a jerky nod.

"You've only woken me up three or four times crying out for him."

Dipping his head down, he said, "When I dream of Ace... the dreams are usually... _nice_. I dream of us being kids again."

He paused, remembering. The last time he dreamed of Ace was almost two weeks ago and they had been eating around a campfire in the woods. Dadan was there, which was strange because she never ate with them when they went out into the forest. Then Sabo said something to Ace and there was an argument, which quickly turned into a food fight and howls of laughter. Part of the dream, the food fight specifically, was rooted in reality and Luffy had remained in bed for several minutes after waking to remember the actual event as it had happened. It was a good memory, but it was also bittersweet.

"I like those dreams," he said, a painful smile curling the corners of his lips upward as he spoke. "We're usually back home running around in the woods and everything is good. Then I wake up... and remember he's gone."

Rayleigh's expression sagged a bit upon hearing his admission, but he said nothing. Luffy hadn't ever thought about how often he dreamed of Nami and how little he dreamed of Ace. The dreams about his brother were always so good, often times he'd find himself wanting to go back to sleep to let the dream continue, just a few minutes more, so he could be in that place again.

But the waking up and remembering... that was always the worst. He dreaded that almost more than anything.

"Your dreams about Nami are different though," Rayleigh said, his voice penetrating his thoughts. "More... violent?"

Luffy nodded.

"You feel especially protective of her?" the old man asked.

Luffy frowned as he considered, then said, "She's not as strong as the others. She's really smart, but..."

"She's not a fighter," he finished.

"Oh, she can fight," Luffy said, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Not like the others, but she can take care of herself. We're always fighting big guys, though. Really, really _strong_ guys, and I need to be stronger so she doesn't get taken away."

Rayleigh tilted his head toward him, his eyes taking on a curious glint. "You worry about the rest of your crew like that, too?"

"Sure I do. They're my nakama."

"But you haven't been dreaming about them the same way," the older man pointed out and Luffy frowned. Rayleigh offered a reassuring smile and said, "I know you care a great deal about your crew, but I guess I'm just wondering why your dreams have centered around your navigator and not your cook or doctor or archaeologist. That's why I asked if you two were involved."

Luffy tilted his head at him as he considered Rayleigh's words. What he said made sense, kind of. He wasn't entirely sure what the rest of the crew had to do with his nightmares about Nami. It wasn't like he only worried about her, he just felt more protective of her.

"What does that have to do with having sex with her?" he asked and Rayleigh nearly choked on his tea. Then he laughed, head back and lips curled into a wide smile, his whole body shook with amusement and Luffy wondered what was so funny.

"You two are just alike," he said, grinning as he wiped his chin with the back of his hand. "It's amazing."

"I don't get it," Luffy grumbled, not sure what he meant or who he was talking about.

Rayleigh smirked. "Never mind," he said. "But once you figure out why you feel more protective of Nami than anyone else, we'll talk about Roger and Rouge."

Luffy pressed his lips together and gave Rayleigh an annoyed glare. "You think I want to have sex with her," he said.

Rayleigh quirked a brow at him. "That's a bit more crass than what I was asking originally, but essentially, yes," he admitted, then shrugged. "I was more curious to know how you felt about her. If you were 'in love' with her. I understand that you are unaffected by Boa Hancock's 'Mero Mero Merrow' ability and I wondered. I've heard it said that those best able to resist turning to stone are those who have found their 'soul-mate,' if you believe such a thing exists. With your nightmares lately, I became even more curious, so I asked."

Giving a sage-like nod, Luffy said, "Sounds like a mystery to me."

Rayleigh simply smirked, shook his head and murmured a quiet "Indeed" before finishing off the rest of his tea.

Luffy, however, still couldn't quite understand what the old man was trying to say. What was a 'soul-mate' supposed to be? Something more than a crewmate, maybe? He had no idea. And his feelings toward his navigator wasn't something he ever thought about. She was _his_ navigator, _his_ friend, _his_ nakama. Why did anything else matter? And if they ever did decide that they wanted to have sex or whatever, what did that have to do with anything?

Of course he loved her. He loved all of them. But Rayleigh was clearly asking him if his feelings for her were stronger than what he felt for the others. If his dreams were any indication, he supposed that could be true. He certainly thought of her often, the memory of her calling out to him for help just before Kuma touched her was never far from his mind. That memory was what he thought of during the most difficult times of his training. It was what gave him the strength, the motivation, to push through the pain and exhaustion to master the techniques that Rayleigh was teaching him.

Did that mean he was 'in love' with her? And what did that even matter? Was that supposed to change things? Now he was starting to wonder. It seemed to him that as long as they were happy together and having fun going on adventures, why should anything have to be different? He already promised Genzo to never do anything to take her smile away and he would make good on that.

Putting his empty cup aside, Rayleigh stood and doused the fire. "Let's get to work, Luffy," he said as he stepped past him. "We have a lot to do today."

"Is that why I keep having nightmares about her?" Luffy asked. "Because I'm 'in love' with her?"

The old man paused. Glancing over his shoulder to peer at him, Rayleigh waited quietly for him to continue, but Luffy just looked right back at him, his brows drawn together in confusion.

When it was clear that Luffy wasn't going to say anything else, Rayleigh said, "Perhaps... or it could be that she simply represents your loss as a whole. Or it could be that your feelings for her are stronger than you realize."

The young captain frowned and the corner of Rayleigh's lip quirked upward. "You'll figure it out," he said, "one way or another. When you do, you'll know what to do."

"I don't see how it matters though," Luffy said. "She's my nakama. They all are. It doesn't change anything."

"It might matter someday, but not today. And if it does, believe me, things will change. Probably for the better." Giving the younger man a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, he said, "Your goal right now is to get stronger, right?"

Jaw clenched and determination shining in his eyes, Luffy gave an enthusiastic, "Yeah!"

"Good," Rayleigh said. "Get stronger, Luffy. The rest will work itself out. You'll see."

* * *

 **AN:** After much thought, I think this will end up being five chapters, total. I am working on trying to get all of the remaining chapters finished (or near finished) before posting part three. So far the remaining themes are reunion, hiding in plain sight and instinct. ;) _  
_

Any deleted scenes (and there are a few already) might end up posted on my tumblr page... _maybe._

Reader feedback is always encouraging. Please consider leaving a review!


	3. Reunion

**AN:** I realize it has been a while since I updated this fic. I'm sorry about that. I struggled with this chapter (and the other two that follow it) and I'm still not 100% happy, but this fic has been languishing on my hard drive long enough. Hopefully this chapter (and the others, once I'm ready to post them, too) won't suck too bad. :)

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* * *

 **.: Veritas :.**  
part three (reunion)

Between the constant fidgeting and face-splitting grins, Luffy was a bundle of excitement and anticipation. Were it not for the large air bubble the three of them occupied (something that Jinbe-chan insisted they use as he was worried there might not be enough breathable air for them), Nami was certain that he would be pacing around the inside of Megalo's mouth and probably end up wandering down the poor shark's esophagus for fun.

"I wish we were on his back!" Luffy said, his voice filled with child-like enthusiasm as he peered up at the roof of the shark's mouth. Jagged teeth circled them from all sides like stalagmites and stalactites, complete with the damp, cave-like darkness. Rays of sunlight filtered into the mouth between the rows of teeth, granting them just enough light to see their surroundings and each other, but casting the world in a surreal mix of sharp edges and long shadows with the steady rhythm of Megalo's beating heart filling their ears.

It was more than a little disconcerting to be standing inside the mouth of a shark, but to his credit, Megalo did a remarkable job of keeping his jaw perfectly still. Even so, Nami was wary of his pointed teeth, and the rows of replacements just waiting to spring forth should he lose one.

The situation didn't phase Luffy one bit. He smiled at them both and said, "The view from up there is so cool. You can see everything!"

Robin grinned in amusement as Nami rolled her eyes. "Jinbe-chan told us to stay put, Luffy," the navigator said. "His plan won't work if they see us coming."

He made a disapproving sound from the back of his throat as he crossed his arms over his chest and pouted.

"Besides," she added, "stealth is important for Robin and me."

"But it's booooring in here," he whined. "And it smells."

"We're probably smelling whatever Megalo ate last, and considering he's a shark I'm sure it was something quite bloody." Nami blanched as Robin simply smiled, "I doubt we'll be here long, Luffy. You won't miss out on any of the fun."

Nami agreed but the captain didn't seem entirely convinced. Since seeing the video feed of Hody Jones threatening to kill the King and Zoro, Usopp and Brook, he had been anxious to confront him. It took quite a lot of effort on Jinbe-chan's part (and a couple of solid punches) to get Luffy to finally agree to his terms. And now they were on their way to Gyoncorde Plaza inside the mouth of a giant shark.

Sometimes it genuinely boggled Nami's mind how her life became so strange.

"I don't wanna hide," Luffy grumbled and the navigator sensed that he was becoming restless. One didn't have to know the captain long to understand how extremely unpredictable a restless Luffy could be. With that in mind, she knew she had to try to quash that now.

"Just for a little while, Luffy," Nami said as she gave him an encouraging smile.

His pout tightened into something close to a scowl and she almost laughed at the ridiculous way he pushed his bottom lip out at her. Eyes narrowed and arms folded over his chest, he looked like a sulking toddler.

"Hiding is good strategy, you know," she reminded him.

The captain clearly disagreed. "Attacking directly is better."

Nami couldn't outright argue that particular tactic. It seemed to suit Luffy quite well as he had no problem charging at an enemy directly, usually with a lot of shouting. Still, there was a place for stealth and she knew he knew that, too. He just needed to be reminded.

"Staying hidden can work to a pirate's advantage," she said. "Less Navy to deal with, less competition from other pirates… Plus, it's the best way to steal valuables!" She smiled and winked. "Besides, Robin and I need the element of surprise for us to accomplish our mission."

"We shouldn't hide," he repeated and Nami felt her patience begin to ebb. He had this argument with Jinbe-chan already. It was a settled issue. Now was not the time to rehash it. "I'd rather he see us coming and know he's gonna get his ass kicked. By me!"

"Luffy..."

"Doing it this way is boring."

Nami looked toward Robin for some support, but the older woman seemed content to examine the row of giant shark teeth to her immediate right. She sighed and tried to reign in her annoyance, but his sulking toddler act was quickly growing old.

"This way takes too long," he continued as Nami's gaze quickly morphed into an annoyed glare. "My way would've been a lot quicker."

"You'll be fighting Hody soon enough, Luffy!" she snapped as she rounded on him. "But to free everyone _and_ steal back Otohime's letter of support from the World Nobles, we need stealth!"

He grunted, but remained silent. His lack of retort did nothing to lessen her ire. He had, after all, fallen asleep while Jinbe-chan was explaining the origins of Hody Jones and though that was typical, it was still aggravating.

"Should just go in, like I said, and rescue the crew. Then kick Hody Jones' ass and then get the thing from the whatever and stuff."

"The letter," she corrected.

"Yeah," he said, tone clearly reflecting his disinterest in the subject as he gave one of Megalo's teeth a curious perusal.

He was tuning her out, Nami realized. Which meant he likely had other "strategies" in mind for what to do once they got to Gyoncorde Plaza. While there was no doubt in her mind that Luffy could beat Hody, her real concern was for the safe retrieval of the letter. After Jinbe-chan's explanation about Hody, the Sun Pirates and subsequent apology for Arlong, Nami wanted to do this for him and all of the people of Fishman Island. Luffy could seriously make things difficult for her and Robin if he didn't go along with the plan.

"You promised Jinbe-chan," she reminded him as she took a step toward him. His gaze immediately snapped to her face. "Luffy, the plan is that we are going to sneak in, get the letter and free the King and his sons."

He scowled and Nami's patience left her at once. As he opened his mouth to speak, she grabbed a handful of his vest and gave him a hard shake. "Don't mess this up, Luffy! If Hody knows we're after the letter he'll probably destroy it, so we HAVE to sneak in."

"Can't destroy it if we beat him up first. He called me out, all of us, so we shouldn't hide!"

"We're not… why can't you…" Nami clenched her jaw in annoyance as her fingers tightened on his vest. "Catching him off guard isn't the same as hiding. Using stealth to launch an attack isn't hiding, either! We've sneaked into plenty of places and you didn't complain then. Jinbe-chan's idea is a good one! Stealth works! The element of surprise works! Gol D. Rogers, Buggy... even the Whitebeard pirates used stealth to get into Marineford during..."

Her voice trailed off as soon as her brain caught up with her mouth and her cheeks reddened with regret. In the heavy and awkward span of seconds that flowered from the sudden quiet, Nami uncurled her fingers from Luffy's vest and took a half-step away from him, her heart dropping sickly into her stomach.

She hadn't meant to bring it up like that. She had wanted to talk to him about it, to express her concern for him and grief at his loss — but the moment to do so never came. They had been so busy, so preoccupied with so much happening all at once...

And now the heartache of Marineford was there, floating in the air like a phantom that everyone could see but no one was quite sure how to acknowledge. Nami hoped that her thoughtless comment hadn't somehow reopened old wounds. She knew Luffy was resilient, but he was also human — and right now he was being uncharacteristically quiet.

Swallowing hard, she knew now was the time to discuss the past. She would apologize to him for not being there when he needed them most, she would express her own grief at his loss, she would tell him that she was sorry for not listening to him when he told them to run, that she had dedicated herself to training and study so that she could be the crew-mate, friend and navigator he needed to become the Pirate King.

As she opened her mouth to speak, Robin beat her to it.

"I heard the details about what happened at Marineford from Ivankov and Inazuma, Luffy," Robin said, voice tender. "More than what the papers reported."

Silence fell between them as Luffy's expression became strangely distant, no doubt remembering what happened there. Her heart twinged at the sight.

"I'm sorry we weren't there for you," the older woman said. "All of us wanted to be."

"You met Ivan-chan?" Luffy asked, his eyes brightening a bit.

"Ah, I did," her lips quirked upward. "He's an... interesting fellow."

Luffy chuckled. Nodded. "He helped me out a lot!"

The silence returned. After a handful of seconds, Nami said, "Sorry about Ace, Luffy."

His expression drooped a bit as his shoulders sagged, just for a second or two, then he straightened himself again. She knew he wasn't comfortable talking about his brother and probably didn't want to discuss the events at Marineford at all, but she had to ask, she had to know...

"Are… are you okay?" Nami asked delicately. "The... scar..."

He grinned at her, wide and dimpling as he thumped his chest with his fist. "Everyone helped to save me! Ivan-chan, Jinbe, Rayleigh and that Trafalgar guy... Lots of people!"

Robin smiled, but said nothing. She was probably wise to do so, but Nami pushed forward. After two years of wondering and worrying, the need to know, to ask, was just too much.

"But what..? Where... I mean, there were rumors that you... you _died_ ," she said. "The newspaper said you were injured and then you went missing for weeks only to suddenly show up again—"

"That was Rayleigh's idea," he interrupted. "Sorry to worry you."

Nami opened her mouth to say more, but Luffy chuckled and said, "I was afraid you guys wouldn't get my message, but you all did! Everyone got some good training, right? I can't wait to see what everyone can do now!"

"I'm sure the crew is much improved," Robin said and Nami knew then that Luffy wasn't ready to share the details just yet.

She wished he would. She still wanted to know what happened to him when he went missing at the end of the battle until he suddenly reappeared at Marineford and rang the bell. She wanted to know details, but he wasn't in a mind to tell them. Not yet, at least. The initial reports were that he had been taken away by the Heart Pirates with the Navy in hot pursuit. The article she read implied that Luffy would soon be caught, if he hadn't been already, and Nami had been worried sick.

Days went by with no updates... then the rumors began.

The world was eager to know what happened to the pirates that managed to escape Marineford. To sate that need (and sell more newspapers), hearsay, theory and speculation were printed as though they were fact. Witnesses suddenly began to pop up claiming to know where Luffy was or what happened to the surviving Whitebeard Pirates. Nami read each story, knowing instinctively that most of the 'facts' were anything but. Somewhere in that tangled mess of rumors, a nugget of truth had to exist. She just needed to find it.

Between the claims that the Heart Pirates had been captured to the theory that the Straw Hat Captain had never actually left Marineford at all and was actually being held in Enies Lobby, one fact always remained — Luffy had been gravely injured. The description of his injuries were so horrific that many doubted he was even alive at all. But, there was no body. And if there was no body, there was no proof that he was actually dead — so Nami clung to her hope.

"Kuma sent you to Amazon Lily?" Robin asked conversationally, pulling the navigator from her thoughts.

Luffy chuckled, "Yeah, Sanji might have died if he was sent there. They don't have any men. None! They don't even know what balls are!"

Robin giggled as Nami rubbed her brow and wondered if she should follow up on that statement with a question, then immediately decided against it.

"But they were real nice and had some of the best food. Not as good as Sanji's food, but still pretty good. And lots of sea king meat!" He grinned, "Where did Kuma send you, Robin?"

"East Blue."

Both Nami and Luffy's eyes widened and Robin smiled as she continued, "I was sent to a place called Tequila Wolf and eventually ended up working with the Revolutionary Army. That's where I met Ivankov and Inazuma. I met a lot of interesting people, in fact. I think you might like to meet a few of them someday, too, Luffy."

Nami noted the way Robin studied Luffy for a reaction to the implication that she may have met his father, but he simply smiled at her. He either didn't catch her meaning or didn't care. Nami guessed it was the latter, but he continued to smile at her.

"That'd be fun!" he said.

The corners of Robin's lips quirked upward. "It might," she agreed. "They were all very nice and helpful with my training to improve my abilities with the Hana Hana no Mi."

"Really?" Luffy asked, eyes wide and sparkling. "Like what?"

The archeologist gave an enigmatic quirk of her lips, "You'll see."

"Oh, I can't wait! It's going to be so awesome! I bet Zoro and Sanji can do all kinds of new stuff. And Franky is so big! He has new weapons! I can't wait to see them! And his hair! We're going to have so much fun!"

Robin simply smiled as Luffy continued to ramble excitedly. Nami considered asking her about the details of her time spent at Tequila Wolf. She had heard the name before and knew it to be a bridge under permanent construction that utilized slave labor. It was in an area of East Blue that she made a point to avoid during her time as a cat thief under Arlong's thumb. How Robin went from being sent to a government-run slave camp to working with the Revolutionary Army was a story she definitely wanted to hear.

"Oi, Nami," Luffy said. He bounced once on the balls of his feet, his eyes bright with curiosity. "Where did Kuma send you?"

"Weatheria," she said. Robin and Luffy gave her a questioning look and she smiled. "It's part of the Sky Islands. It travels the circumference of the world studying weather and climate."

Excitement colored his visage as his lips curled upward, "Oooohh, you went to the Sky Islands? Did you see Conis and Pagaya?"

"Not Skypiea," she corrected, knowing the difference wouldn't matter to him. "Just Weatheria. It was nowhere near as fun as Skypiea, but I learned a lot there. I got to study the science of weather, specifically the weather of the New World, as the island traveled over it. I was also able to study the ocean currents in the New World." She grinned, winked, "So wherever you want to go, Captain, I promise I can get us there!"

Silence reigned for several seconds and Nami was a bit perplexed by the pensive expression on her captain's face. Then he tilted his head at her, his lips forming a tight line as he studied her.

"You went to the New World?" he asked.

His question took her aback, her brain stuttering for a moment over what he meant. She had expected him to be pleased, instead he looked disappointed.

"Huh?"

"You've already been to the New World," he repeated. "Without us?"

Understanding at once, she was quick to clarify. "Oh. Oh, no. We floated over the New World. Far above. I didn't step foot on any of the islands or navigate any of the oceans." His features softened at her words and she smiled at him. "What fun would it be to explore an island in the New World without you and everyone else?"

"Indeed," Robin said. "But I'm sure your trip was very educational."

"It was," she agreed. "We were only flying over the New World for a few weeks at a time. The island kinda zig-zagged around, it doesn't float in a straight line. During the time we were there I dedicated myself to study and training. I didn't want to know any specifics about the islands of the New World unless I needed to know something to help with navigation. I'll see those islands for the first time with all of you."

Visibly relieved, Luffy dipped his head down until his eyes were shadowed by the rim of his hat. He was quiet for several seconds as Robin and Nami watched him, wondering what was going through his mind.

"I really missed you guys," he said, tone unusually somber. There was a beat of silence that followed his statement and Nami exchanged a curious glance with Robin when Luffy continued.

"I can't do anything by myself," he said, lifting his eyes to regard them as he adjusted his straw hat. "When I first got to Amazon Lily I panicked without you guys! Then I remembered I had the Vivre Card, but I'm no good at building a raft and I can't cook or figure out ocean currents or anything like that. Hancock and the other girls were real nice and helped me out a lot, then Rayleigh trained me up until about six months ago, but I really missed my nakama."

"Six months?" Robin asked. "But you were the last to arrive at Sabaody Archipelago."

"Yeah, Rayleigh had to leave so I finished the last of my training alone," he said, then sighed.

Nami's stomach clenched at the tone of his voice and the unusually downcast expression. He'd suffered without them, without their support and comradery. She could see that there was a quiet pain within him that went beyond the loss of his brother or the loneliness he must have felt for the last six months. What it was, exactly, she wasn't sure, but it reverberated through her and left her with the feeling that there were fears and worries buried deep within him, far beneath his normal genial and carefree disposition.

An instinctual urge to comfort him coiled around her heart and made her ache, but she resisted acting on it. To do so would not only risk revealing the full extent of her feelings for him, but would most likely deepen them. Worse, she wasn't entirely certain that Luffy would want her to.

"It's good to be back together," he said, voice edged with emotion as he smiled at them. "It was a long two years."

With those words, her body, her soul, seemed to vibrate with the desire to act. Clenching her jaw, she made up her mind to listen to her heart. With three steps forward, she pressed herself against Luffy and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. Surprised by the sudden contact, his body immediately stiffened.

"I— I missed you, too," she whispered and she felt him slowly begin to relax against her. A second later and his arms circled around her to return the hug. "We all missed you."

It was comforting to feel his closeness and she hoped the feeling was mutual. Truthfully, she wanted to hug him the moment she first saw him, but with the Navy after them and the importance of her role in making sure the ship successfully submerged and evaded their pursuers, she had no choice but to focus on the business at hand.

Now, in the few moments they had before they confronted Hody Jones, she realized that she needed to hug him, to feel the realness of him. In the back of her mind she knew the embrace was lingering a bit longer than what would be considered appropriate between friends, but she couldn't help it. She was reluctant to let him go though she knew she should.

As she made up her mind to do so, she felt his arms suddenly tighten around her, his breath tickling her neck as he gave a quiet sigh. It was such an unexpected reaction out of him, so calm and quiet, so out-of-character for someone as normally boisterous as him, that a flutter of worry tickled along the edges of her mind and she wondered if he was really okay.

Was there something more troubling him? Or was it possible that he was simply relishing the moment, like she was? Could he have wanted, needed, this kind of physical contact as much as she did?

An inquiry was on the tip of her tongue when the sound of Robin politely clearing her throat marked the end of their time together. The warmth of Luffy's arms quickly left her as he stepped away, his eyes crinkling around the edges as he grinned. Heart pounding hard in her chest, Nami tried her best to push back the blush she knew was already coloring her cheeks as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

"I think we're getting close to our destination," Robin said, a knowing smile playing about her lips as she gazed at them both. Nami was certain the archeologist would have something to say about that hug later.

Shoulders squared and chin held high, Nami cleared her mind as she withdrew the pieces of her Sorcery Clima-tact and quickly assembled them. "All right," she said, expertly spinning the staff as she moved near Robin. "When my mirage takes effect you'll know it because everything will appear a bit blurry around the edges. That's due to the light bending around you. When the mirage envelops you, you'll be just as invisible to me as I will be to you, so we need to work out a plan to transfer the keys once I lift them."

"No problem," Robin said and one of her arms suddenly sprouted from her lower back and gently curled around her waist. "It'll be out of your way like that," she explained. "When you get the key, just put it in my hand," the hand attached to Nami's body wiggled its fingers for emphasis, "I'll take care of the rest."

The navigator smiled, "Sounds good." She began to twirl the staff in her hands and the air around them suddenly felt cooler. "Time to disappear!"

As she spoke, Robin's feet vanished. Then her calves, followed by her knees, thighs and hips. Luffy gave an excited whoop as he clapped his hands and grinned. Then the older woman faded completely from sight.

"You can move freely while the mirage is active," Nami said as her own body began to slowly disappear. "But be mindful of sound — if you do something to make a lot of noise, they'll hear it."

"Of course," Robin said from seemingly out-of-nowhere. The sound of her disembodied voice made Luffy laugh.

"Once I get the keys to Robin, then it should be your turn, Luffy."

His hands curled into fists as he said, "I'm gonna kick that guy's ass! Just watch!"

"Remember to wait for Jinbe-chan's signal," she reminded him and he nodded a split second before they felt the sudden jolt of Megalo landing. They heard voices outside, distant shouts, but nothing similar to the sounds of battle. At least, not yet.

"We should go while it's quiet," Robin said and Nami guessed she was already making her way out of the shark's giant mouth.

Nami moved to follow, but paused beside the captain. She knew he couldn't see her, but she got the sense that he knew she was there right next to him. Gently touching his hand with her fingertips, he responded to her touch by curling his fingers around hers.

"Be careful, Luffy," she whispered.

He inclined his head in assent.

"And beat the hell out of him," she added, giving his hand a quick squeeze. His only reply was to simply grin, wide and dangerous.

As Nami made her way out of the shark's giant mouth she couldn't help but to feel the tiniest bit of pity for Hody Jones. The poor bastard had no idea what was about to happen to him. And, if she had any say in the matter, they would be very handsomely rewarded for the service before the day was through.

(TBC)

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 **AN:** So when the crew all reunited after two years of being apart, I was totally disappointed by the lack of hugs. Primarily the lack of hugs between Nami and Luffy. ;) I rationalized that they couldn't hug right away because of all the stuff happening while they departed for Fishman Island, but I still needed my moment of fluff. Hence this chapter.

Also, yes — I characterized Nami as being more reserved than she normally is. And this is something I struggled with, but I kept coming back to these two facts:

1) They've been apart for two years and a lot happened during their separation. Ace died, Luffy did intensive training and Nami also did some intensive training/studying. Two years apart would require some "let's get reacquainted" time for everyone. Where did you end up? What did you do? What new things did you learn? etc. Which is what the time inside Megalo's mouth is supposed to be.

2) This is the first time Nami has been able to have an actual conversation with Luffy after accepting the fact that she is in love with him. The circumstances are still messed up, granted, but they're not running from the Navy or trying to survive an underwater attack or listening to Jinbe explain who Hody Jones is, etc. So not only have they been apart for two years, but now there's feelings involved. Things are the same, but a little different — so the characters are going to be a little different, too.

Next chapter — they finally "admit" how they feel. Kinda-sorta. :P


	4. Hiding in Plain Sight

**AN:** Not that it really matters, but if you want to pin a time frame on the next two chapters I suppose you can say that it's set sometime before Zou. Or maybe after. It doesn't matter. It's fanfiction. Roll with it. :P

Also, there may be errors ahead. I haven't been feeling well lately so I may have missed some stuff while proofing/editing, etc. If you see some glaring mistake, let me know.

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* * *

 **.: Veritas :.**  
part four (hiding in plain sight)

There were children everywhere. Sitting on the sidewalk, climbing the trees in the park, walking down the road, crowding stores and shops, laughing, shouting, playing, crying. Hundreds of them were running around the city unsupervised and full of energy, most under the age of twelve, and all of them war orphans. It was surprising how fairly well-behaved most of them were, especially considering how much trouble they could get into without an adult keeping tabs on them. There was mischief and a bit of mayhem, but for the most part they were just kids being kids.

It was encouraging to see after all the heartache they had been through, but Nami knew well how resilient children could be. It was in their nature to want to laugh and play and here, on Luna Sol, they were allowed to so without fear of violence or death looming over them. As they waited for the Navy to transfer them to another island where they could (hopefully) be adopted, go to school and attempt to reclaim part of what they lost in war, they played with an enthusiasm that made her heart warm.

It was difficult not to smile at them as they darted down the street during a game of tag, but it took quite a bit of effort on her part to prevent Luffy from joining in their antics. Her "mission" was to keep him in line while they finished their quick errand into town. They had done fairly well at avoiding the Navy, and it helped that they had camouflaged themselves somewhat. Luffy kept his straw hat carefully hidden under a cloak and Nami had decided to dress more conservatively than normal, her tattoo hidden and telltale long, orange hair pulled back into a loose bun. Granted, it wasn't much of a disguise for either of them, but without some of their more obvious markers on full display, people tended to ignore them.

From the moment they made the decision to go ashore, Nami impressed upon everyone the importance of keeping a low profile. She had read about the civil wars that had plagued the small islands that surrounded Luna Sol and knew the city was full of displaced orphaned children. And _Navy_. If it wasn't for the fact that they were dangerously low on food and basic supplies she would have navigated them to the next closest island - which was over five days away.

But they needed to restock, so they agreed to send half of the crew ashore to get supplies while the remaining half stayed behind to make sure that the Thousand Sunny went undetected by the naval ships anchored off shore. Luffy refused to stay behind and Nami was certain that if someone didn't keep tabs on him, he'd somehow manage to get into trouble. And so, the two of them went into town together. Not to buy food or anything edible (because taking Luffy on such an errand would be stupid), but to purchase medical herbs and supplies for Chopper.

So far, the job of preventing Luffy from making a nuisance of himself, or otherwise causing a scene, had been mostly successful. The captain walked beside her, mouth stretched wide into a grin as he took in the sights and sounds around them. A few times he rushed ahead, his excitement getting the better of him, but Nami only had to rein him in twice and thump him upside the head once to get him to calm down. Then she got the idea of simply linking her arm around his and tugging on him when she felt him begin to speed up. He responded well to the silent promptings, but still occasionally gave the excited whoop of joy or snicker at seeing something that amused him.

If all went well, they should be able to set sail within the next couple of hours and the Navy would be none the wiser.

"Two more blocks and we should be there," she said, glancing up from the directions she had scribbled down when she asked a street vendor where the nearest apothecary was.

Luffy didn't reply, his attention focused on an ice cream stand across the street. Gently tugging on her arm, he said, "That looks _awesome,_ " as he pointed with his other hand. An older man, probably in his fifties, stood alone on the corner as he worked. Several children surrounded him, begging him for treats, many of them with faces already sticky from eating the dessert. He waved a few of them off before attending to other customers, presenting them with cones holding generous scoops of ice cream.

"You don't have any money, Luffy," she said. His countenance sagged the moment the words left her mouth and she gave his arm a comforting squeeze. "But it does look good," she said quietly.

Eyes brightening, he started to maneuver her toward the other side of the street. "Then let's get some!"

She shook her head, "After."

"After?" he asked.

She pointed down the street and he immediately understood what she meant. The pout he gave her in response was ridiculously overdone. She wasn't sure if it was because his skin was rubber or because he genuinely thought the exaggerated way he pursed his lips and frowned would somehow move her, but the way his face scrunched up almost made her burst into laughter. He just wasn't good at manipulating people with fake expressions of sadness or disappointment, but she decided to humor him a bit. After all, he hadn't caused a scene or run off on his own or done anything foolish to draw attention to himself. The captain deserved an ice cream cone, or three... but it would be coming out of _his_ share of the treasure the next time they managed to find some.

"You eat too much," she said as they continued to walk.

Luffy's pout turned into a genuine frown. "I can't help it if I'm always hungry..."

She snorted, "You eat too much and we have a limited amount of money with us and a long list of things we need to buy." Nami smiled at him and winked, "Supplies first, then ice cream, but you're paying for it. _With_ interest." She glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes, "Deal?"

The grin he gave her was almost blinding. Coiling an arm around her waist, she bit back a scream as he lifted her off the ground and sprinted the rest of the way to the shop.

• • •

Luffy was finishing the last of his ice cream, his fourth one, and eating it surprisingly slow, at least for him. She smirked at the way he savored it, licking the drips down the side of the cone and grinning happily. He looked like a big kid, the pack on his back filled to near bursting with the supplies they purchased as he happily ate. It was kind of cute and she couldn't help but to smile back at him. Down to just the cone, he popped what was left in his mouth and swallowed.

He beamed at her, "So good!"

"Yeah it was," she agreed, "but I'm thirsty." Motioning toward the cafe that was just ahead, she glanced at Luffy to tell him that she wanted to get some water, but he was already distracted.

"Look, look!" he said excitedly as he tugged on her arm. "Blue cotton candy! And _green!_ Oh, Chopper would love that." He began to pull her with him, toward the sweets, but she resisted.

"Wait, Luffy, let me get something to drink and then..." Her words died in her throat when she saw the Vice Admiral. Nami could see her clearly through the window of the cafe as she was preparing to leave, her assistant helping her into her coat as they slowly made their way toward the exit.

She glanced at Luffy and saw that he was still focused on the cotton candy, his hand on her elbow and completely oblivious to what was only seconds away from happening. If the Vice Admiral came out now, she'd see him. Even with his trademark straw hat hidden under his cloak, there's no way a Vice Admiral would fail to recognize one of the most wanted pirates in the world.

Eyes wide and breath caught in her throat, Nami acted on pure instinct. Grabbing Luffy by his wrist, she yanked him toward her, away from the cotton candy stand and cafe entrance and toward the park they had passed just moments before.

"What are you—"

Nami clapped a hand over his mouth as she spun him around to face her, then she gave him a gentle push, maneuvering him backward, toward the shade trees that lined the sidewalk and formed the boundary of a small park. Only when his backpack bumped against one of the trees did she finally speak.

"Don't talk," she ordered, her finger-tips still gently pressed against his lips as she glanced back at the cafe. The woman was heading toward them. In mere seconds, a Vice Admiral of the Navy would be walking right past them. If they ran, they would draw immediate attention to themselves. If they did nothing, she would recognize them and very likely attempt to arrest them. That guaranteed a fight — probably a big one — and all the people around them, the refugees, the war orphans, the citizens just going about their normal day, would be caught in the middle.

She had to prevent it.

Her only thought at the moment was to hide him. As a thief she was very well versed in how to hide in plain sight and the best way to do that wasn't always to simply disappear, but to force the other person to look away.

It was then that she knew what to do. Amusement shined in Luffy's eyes as he stared at her and Nami felt a stab of annoyance at his expression. Only he would be blissfully happy at all the wrong times. She opened her mouth to reprimand him, but realized it would be pointless. It would simply alert him to the presence of the Vice Admiral and it was better that he didn't know. Besides, there wasn't any time. Fisting his vest in her hands, she tugged, urging him to take a half step toward her.

"Nami, there's nothing—"

She cut him off with a kiss. It was stiff and awkward, but it shut him up and with their faces and bodies so close together they were essentially 'hiding' now. If she could manage to make it look sincere, it just might cause the Vice Admiral to spare them nothing more than a disapproving glance.

Forcing herself to relax she leaned into him, her chest pressed against his as she let her eyes drift shut. A few awkward seconds later, Luffy suddenly seemed to understand what was happening and she felt his hands gently settle on her hips. The sound of heavy footfalls coming toward them gave her all the incentive she needed to give herself to the moment, the kiss, as she allowed herself to melt more firmly against him. Clutching at his vest, she kept him close as the Vice Admiral moved past them. His fingers squeezed her hips when one of the Marines whistled at them. Some even muttered a couple of comments as they passed, but Nami ignored them. A few more seconds and they would be gone, it would be safe, and they could break apart...

...but then Luffy started to kiss her back.

Always quick to adapt, he transitioned from participating in an awkward joining to leading a curious exploration and she wasn't quite sure if she should stop him. The best she had hoped for was that the suddenness of kissing him would cause him to put up with her behavior just long enough for the Marines to move past them. At that point, she'd explain why she did what she did and he'd probably laugh at her. She didn't expect him to begin kissing her as though it was the most natural thing in the world for him to do.

Warm hands moved steadily up her sides, across her back and down toward her waist. Then her bottom lip was held gently between his teeth as he ran the tip of his tongue slowly along its edge. There was a coaxing quality to the sensation that made an unexpected heat flood her body as she relaxed more fully against him. Arms tightening around her waist, she knew he was about to deepen the kiss and she welcomed it when the moment was suddenly lost. Luffy's entire body abruptly went rigid a split second before a nearby 'boom!' caused her to jump. The kiss ended, but he still held on to her, keeping her close as he gazed at the cause of the commotion.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO NAMI-SAN?!"

She didn't need to look toward the source of the voice to know it was Sanji and her stomach clenched uncomfortably. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she sighed as Luffy finally released his hold on her. Rubbing the back of his head with one hand, he chuckled, and didn't appear the least bit concerned about having been caught kissing the ship's navigator.

That wasn't the reaction the cook wanted to see and he was across the street and in their captain's face in an instant. "Explain this!" he hissed. "Now!"

"Sanji-kun," Nami said, forcing her voice to sound bright and cheerful. "Nothing happened."

"Nothing?" he echoed. " _Nothing?_ " Eyes narrowed into thin slits, he glared at Luffy before turning his attention back to her. "I'm not blind," he said. "He kissed you!"

"She kissed me," Luffy corrected, grinning wide.

There was a beat of silence as a flash of doubt and moved through Sanji's eyes, then his gaze hardened. "You shitty bastard. Don't fucking lie!"

"Sanji-kun, I can explain," Nami said. Glancing around she noticed that they were starting to draw attention. If Sanji didn't settle down it wouldn't be long before a soldier wandered over to see what the commotion was all about. "There's nothing to get upset over," she said.

Nami gave him her best smile, making sure it was equal parts sexy and sweet. Under normal circumstances, such a smile would make him gush, but he was completely unfazed. Eyes hard, he peered at her, studied her, and Nami had the strange sense that he somehow felt betrayed. As though she had broken some kind of trust or bond with him, but that couldn't be. It wasn't like he flirted with her exclusively or made any kind of overtures that he expected their friendship to turn romantic. Sanji flirted with _every_ girl, everywhere they went — regardless of the circumstances or situation — if an attractive woman was present, he swooned. Nami didn't take his playfulness seriously because he did it with everyone.

But this was different, she realized. Sanji's previous bouts of jealousy had always been triggered when someone seemed to be enjoying the favor of a beautiful woman when he wasn't. He was upset when he found out Luffy went to Amazon Lily or when he saw Momonosuke being coddled by herself and Robin, but he wasn't _angry_. At least, not like this.

Feeling even more off-balanced, Nami suddenly had no idea how to properly reel in the situation. She knew her normal response was to take control by using her looks or temper to get her way, but she doubted Sanji would let this go so easily. If she wanted to avoid drawing more attention to themselves, she needed to avoid feeding his anger. She needed to be calm.

"Well?" the cook pressed, voice rough and demanding.

Clearing her throat, she squared her shoulders as she lifted her chin. "There was a Vice Admiral with her unit," she said, pitching her voice to sound as neutral as possible as her eyes locked onto him. "I kissed him so she'd—"

" _You_ kissed him?" Sanji asked.

She didn't like the way he emphasized 'you,' but she nodded in confirmation. "I did."

Jaw tightly clenched and eyes narrowed, his eyes moved from her to Luffy and back again. Exhaling out his nose, Sanji took a half step back, but the air remained charged with tension. He had accepted her claim, but was still distinctly unhappy. Taking a deep breath, Nami prepared to finish her explanation, but Sanji didn't let her. Without another word, he walked away leaving the pair to stare at his back.

' _Why is he still so angry?'_ she wondered as he made his way to the end of the street and disappeared around a corner. _'Did he seriously think that we—'_

"He broke the carts," Luffy said, pulling Nami from her thoughts. She looked at him askance and he pointed to the place where Sanji had been standing only moments before.

In a splintered mess in the middle of the street sat the remains of three large wooden cargo boxes. Nami reasoned that the boom they heard must have been Sanji kicking the carts in a fit of anger. It wouldn't be long before the damage to the goods would be blamed on them. "We should go," she whispered.

Luffy gave a slight nod and the two resumed their trek down the road toward the bay and the Thousand Sunny. Sanji would most certainly beat them to the ship and she wondered what he would say to the crew. Would he tell them what he saw right away? Or was he planning to wait until she and Luffy returned first..?

For some reason, the idea of Sanji spreading the news of their kiss didn't sit well with her. It felt strangely invasive, as though he was stealing a moment in time she desperately wanted to keep to herself. Part of her felt foolish for thinking that way. The kiss wasn't motivated by a desire to express affection, even if it did become that, at least for her. It was, at its core, an honest attempt to shield Luffy from being recognized. She didn't feel ashamed or embarrassed over the act itself, but she did feel oddly protective of it.

It was... _special._ It was the one and only time she had ever allowed herself to honestly express her feelings for him. And in the few moments that it lasted, it felt as though Luffy was reciprocating. For a guy as oblivious, dim-witted, food-obsessed and adventure-crazy as Luffy, Nami knew such a moment was likely to never happen again. So if Sanji talked about it, sneered about it or otherwise complained, it seemed as though his words would somehow cheapen the moment — and Nami didn't want that.

"Wow, he was really mad," Luffy said, voice tinged with amusement. "Do you think he'll to try to fight me later?" he asked and Nami glanced at him out of the corners of his eyes. He smiled, then laughed. "That might be fun!"

"I don't think he'll fight you."

"Oh?" He peered at her as he considered her words, then a new thought occurred to him and his eyes suddenly widened. "You don't think he'll refuse to cook meat for me, do you?"

"I don't know," Nami muttered and Luffy frowned. "Maybe for a little while, at least."

They continued on in silence, Luffy alternating from visibly pouting to looking totally bewildered as Nami wondered what she should say to him before they were reunited with the crew. If she wanted to explain herself to him, now was the time to do it, but she hesitated. After all, Luffy hadn't inquired about the sudden kiss or seemed otherwise bothered by it. His main concern, as always, was food and fighting. He didn't seem the least bit phased or curious about what they were doing not ten minutes ago and why should he? He'd never once shown any kind of sexual interest in anyone, _ever_. The kiss, to him, was likely just another 'weird thing' that was easily dismissed in the greater adventure of becoming Pirate King.

And maybe it was better for everyone if he continued to think that way. If it wasn't important to him then maybe it simply wasn't important at all. That thought stung, but Nami was certain she could live with it.

The real problem was what Sanji would do. She didn't believe that he would stay angry for long, but just because he walked away didn't mean the conversation was over. She would have to acknowledge what happened to everyone... but how?

Laugh it off?

Pretend it never happened?

She doubted she could get away with pretending it never happened and if she tried to laugh it off she was certain everyone would see right through her. The best option was probably to just explain everything to the entire crew all at once. They would certainly understand her actions. Sure, there would be some teasing about it, but she had the leverage of raising their debt if they went too far. They already knew her to be a master manipulator and once they understood the motive behind her suddenly kissing the captain, they would all understand that it didn't _mean_ anything. She was just trying to hide from the Marines, big deal.

Nami chewed her bottom lip. _'But the Marines were long gone by the time Sanji found us,'_ she thought. _'And he would most certainly tell them that.'_ She glanced at Luffy out of the corners of her eyes and felt a stab of frustration toward him.

The kiss was only supposed to last for a few seconds. Luffy wasn't supposed to kiss her back. And she sure as hell wasn't supposed to be left feeling so... so... _disappointed_ and heartsick that the moment ended the way it did. Nami wasn't supposed to miss how good it felt to be in his arms, to feel his warmth all around her, to smell him, taste him...

And now that memory would always be in her mind, bittersweet and cruel because she was in love with him and knew there was no place for 'romance' or 'relationships' while trying to make Luffy's dream of becoming the Pirate King come true.

She _knew_ that. She'd always known that.

And yet... here she was.

' _Damn you, Luffy,'_ she thought as her chest constricted painfully. _'And damn me, too.'_

* * *

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 **AN:** Next chapter, "Instinct."


	5. Instinct

**AN:** Sorry for the delay in posting this chapter. Between my job, the end-of-the-year holidays and a super fun bout with the flu (that I am still getting over), I've been a little busy. I hope you enjoy the chapter below.

* * *

 **.: Veritas :.**  
part five (instinct)

He had no idea why she suddenly kissed him, but he knew he liked it. Her lips tasted like vanilla, creamy, sweet and deliciously warm. And the way she was pressed up against him, soft and inviting, her presence so familiar and yet somehow _not_. Everything about her seemed to make his nerves hum and his skin tingle. The sensation was wholly new and exciting in a way he didn't know was possible.

When the surprise wore off and the kiss continued, the urge to touch, feel and explore began to nag at the back of his mind. Suddenly Luffy wanted to know what it felt like to run his hands up her sides, along her shoulders, down to the small of her back... to touch the softness, the warmth, the closeness...

And the _taste_...

He gently held her lower lip between his teeth and ran his tongue along its edge wondering what she tasted like normally, when she didn't just finish eating ice cream. Maybe the tangerines that she loved so much? Or something else? Something uniquely Nami?

She shifted against him, her breasts pressed more firmly against his chest as she leaned into him. They parted for barely a second, just long enough to breathe and she sighed. It was a soft sound of contentment and pleasure that made his body thrum with want. The encouragement was primal and instinct took over at once. He pressed her more tightly against him as their kiss resumed, intent on learning more of her, as much as he could while standing next to a tiny park on an island he forgot the name of when he suddenly felt the first flutters of danger. It was a familiar yet tumultuous aura that lapped against them, derailing this new adventure far too soon. Luffy grew tense an instant before a sudden boom caused Nami to jump. Then Sanji's voice cut through the silence, severing their connection completely.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO NAMI-SAN?!"

He looked toward his cook and grinned, feeling somewhat giddy from the kiss as Nami, lips swollen and cheeks flushed, pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. Sanji was across the street in seconds, his eyes narrowed in anger.

"Explain this!" he hissed. "Now!"

"Sanji-kun," Nami said, forcing a smile as she looked at him. "Nothing happened."

The muscles in his jaw twitched. "Nothing?" he asked, voice hard. " _Nothing?_ I'm not blind. He kissed you!"

Luffy's grin grew even wider as he happily corrected his chef. "She kissed me."

"You shitty bastard," he said, giving Luffy a dark glare. "Don't fucking lie!"

There was a stiffness to the way Sanji stood over him, a simmering anger that made Luffy wonder at him. Why would he lie? He'd never lied to his nakama before. Nami had kissed _him_. As far as Luffy was concerned, if Nami wanted to kiss him, she could. Anytime. As often as she wanted. He'd certainly enjoyed it and he was pretty certain she liked it, too. He already planned on kissing her again, though now would obviously be a bad time. Later though, when they were back on board the Sunny and Sanji was busy making dinner and would be far less likely to interrupt, maybe then...

"Sanji-kun, I can explain. It's nothing to get upset over," Nami said and Luffy peered at her curiously. Of course there was nothing to get upset over, but what was there to explain? And why did she sound apologetic?

"Well?" Sanji asked, voice cold and hard. Luffy didn't particularly like the angry way he was looking at Nami as he spoke, but he knew she could handle him.

Clearing her throat, she said, "There was a Vice Admiral with her unit, I kissed him..."

Brows drawn together, Luffy wondered what the Vice Admiral in the cafe had to do with anything when Sanji asked, " _You_ kissed him?"

"I did."

Sanji paused, his expression tight as his gaze moved from Nami to Luffy and back again. Then he gave the captain one last look of disgust before taking a step backward. Luffy expected him to say something more, to take Nami's words and grudgingly accept them, but there was nothing.

In silence, Luffy watched Nami gaze after Sanji as he walked away, uncertainty clouding her features as he once again wondered why him seeing them kiss was such a big deal. He knew that Sanji never liked it when Nami or Robin paid any of the other Straw Hats extra attention, but he was always quick to get over it. Luffy thought his jealousy was comical, but now he wasn't sure what to think of it.

Granted, Luffy knew that he wouldn't especially like it if he saw Nami kissing Sanji, but that was different. A lot different. Nami was _his_ navigator, _his_ nakama... his... what? He wasn't sure. Girlfriend, or something? Wasn't that what Rayleigh asked him once?

Well, whatever.

Nami was his far more than she was Sanji's. And even though he didn't really understand what the big deal was, he knew he didn't like the worried expression on her face. The urge to distract her, to make her smile and laugh urged him to try to pull her from her thoughts and lighten the mood.

"He broke the carts," he said, grinning wide.

She gave him a questioning look and he pointed at the broken mess in the middle of the street and snickered. Her countenance darkened at the sight of the damaged crates and she rubbed her forehead. He recognized the gesture as one of annoyance borne out of worry.

"We should go," she said quietly.

That wasn't the reaction he was hoping for, but he nodded and they began their trek back to where they hid the Mini Merry, neither saying a word. The memory of Sanji's expression just before he walked away filled Luffy's mind and he wondered what the cook thought he saw. Did Sanji think he forced himself on Nami? It was pretty clear that Sanji blamed him for the kiss, as though he had done something to _make_ her kiss him. If he had, Luffy thought, he'd like to know what it was because he'd make sure to do it again. Perhaps it was the ice cream or the nice day or the fun they had been having all afternoon while walking through town together. Luffy was pretty sure that he didn't do anything specific to her to make her kiss him so Sanji really had no reason to be so upset with him.

Whatever it was that Sanji thought, it seemed to be bothering Nami and Luffy didn't like that. Everything up until the moment they were interrupted had been great! He felt pretty good about the whole thing, happy even. An excited energy he'd never felt before was flooding his chest and making him feel like he just won an amazing fight or had the best meal, ever, but Nami had yet to say a word. If anything, she seemed to feel the exact opposite. If it wasn't for her troubled countenance, Luffy would have asked her to kiss him again — or maybe he should just kiss her without asking the way she did to him.

He knew instinctively that would be a mistake. Nami was far more analytical than he was. As far as Luffy was concerned, she spent too much time in her own head worrying about things that didn't need to be worried about. Maybe he just needed to try to distract her again, get her to smile or laugh, and she'd be back to normal and then he could ask her about the kiss. Ask her if they could do it again.

"Wow, he was really mad," he said and Nami glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes. "He's probably going to try to fight me later. It might be fun!"

"I don't think he'll fight you," she said, voice unusually somber.

"Oh?" He asked, studying her expression in open wonder as a new thought struck him. "You don't think he'll refuse to cook meat for me, do you?"

"He might," she said. "At least for a little while."

Luffy gave a frustrated groan and wondered why this was such a big deal. Why was everyone acting so weird? More than that, why did Nami look so upset?

He racked his brain for what felt like _forever_ and found the more he thought about the situation, the weirder Nami seemed to be acting. He still felt pretty good. Confused, yes, but good. _Really_ good. It seemed to him that Nami should probably feel the same. Or at least something similar. Instead, the closer they came to where they hid the Mini Merry, the more her expression seemed to fill with dread.

Tired of the silence and high strangeness, he grabbed her wrist and forced her to stop. She started from the sudden contact and asked, "What are you—?"

"Oi, Nami," he said, leaning toward her so he could peer directly into her eyes. "You okay?"

She blinked at him, her cheeks darkening as he took a half step toward her, his nose almost touching hers.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Feigning annoyance, she scowled as she pushed his face away from hers and said, "Nothing." Then she stepped around him and resumed her pace toward the bay.

Undeterred, Luffy fell into step beside her. Peering at her out of the corners of his eyes, he gave her a moment to explain herself. Or at least explain why she was being so quiet. Or why she didn't seem as excited about their kiss as he was. Or why Sanji was so mad. Or why she mentioned the Vice Admiral earlier. Or why everything about right now seemed so… _weird_.

Her silence continued and Luffy grunted in annoyance. "I don't get it," he said, finally, and Nami rolled her eyes.

"There's nothing to 'get.' That whole thing back there with Sanji and everything… it was just… _unexpected_. I'm sorry, okay?"

"Why are you sorry? I can always catch fish and eat that for dinner if he's still mad tonight!"

"That's not…" she paused, sighed. "That's not what I mean."

Luffy's brows scrunched together as he frowned. "You mean the kiss?"

She opened her mouth to explain further but he happily plunged ahead. "No reason to be sorry. He'll get over it." He snickered to himself before turning a wide smile toward her, "He ruined it though. It was real nice!"

Nami slowed to a stop, forcing him to pause. He turned back to look at her and saw that she was studying him with eyes wide and owlish, as though she didn't fully understand what he just said.

"You think we can try again? Maybe while he's cooking dinner or something?" he asked. "That way he'll be too busy to bother us. More fun that way, I think."

The blush that colored her cheeks earlier roared back as her mouth opened and closed soundlessly. Then she gave a brittle laugh. "You… you _liked_ it?"

He tilted his head at her, perplexed by the question. Wasn't it obvious? Duh.

"Well, yeah," he said. "But I don't get what that Vice Admiral has to do with anything."

"Did you see her?" she asked.

"See her? No," he said, scratching at the scar just under his eye as he thought back to that moment. "But I knew she was there."

"You— you _knew_ …?"

"Felt her," he said, grinning. "Observation Haki."

"Oh. Yeah. Right."

"Why does that matter?" he asked.

She swallowed hard and rubbed her brow. "I saw her coming toward us," she explained. "And I knew if she saw you she would recognize you and there would be trouble. Running away wasn't an option and I didn't want you to get into fight, so... I— I kissed you to hide you."

His smile fading, Luffy's brows creased in confusion. "You didn't mean to kiss me?"

"I— well, no." She bit her lip nervously, "I mean, I wasn't planning to. With the kids everywhere… I— I guess I panicked."

"But she already knew we were there," he said. "I tried to tell you, but then you kissed me."

"She _knew?_ "

"The Haki," he said as he rubbed the back of his head. Even though he used Haki everyday he still had no idea how to describe it to someone else. At least not in a way that someone who didn't use it would understand. Nami, however, was pretty smart. And Luffy suspected that her ability to sense the weather probably had something to do with Haki, but how, exactly, was a mystery to him. Even so, he trusted that she would get his meaning. She usually did.

"She knew it was us but didn't care. She didn't want to fight, either. Probably for the same reason you didn't want me to fight, too," he said. "But I knew if you saw her you'd get upset, so I thought if we went across the street to the cotton candy stand you'd miss seeing her and wouldn't worry, but I guess not."

She didn't reply. She was staring at him instead, her eyes slowly moving over his face and he wondered what she was thinking. He was confident that she understood that they were completely safe from that Vice Admiral. He'd always protect her. He knew she knew that, but sometimes he couldn't stop her from worrying. Hopefully telling her that they had been safe all along would make her feel better, even if it was kinda disappointing that she didn't really mean to kiss him at all.

"We were okay," he said, grinning. "So you didn't have to kiss me, but it was still nice!"

"It was nice," she murmured.

A thrill of excitement shot up his spine and his smile grew impossibly large, "I knew you liked it, too!"

"I did."

He knew it! He knewitknewitknewit! But still he wondered why, if she liked it, did she seem to feel bad about it, too? That didn't make any sense. Tilting his head at her, he asked, "Then you don't regret it anymore?"

"I never regretted it," she said, her expression sharpening as she studied him. It was a look he knew well — one that usually meant she was on the verge of figuring something out. He had the odd sense that _he_ was the one she was trying to figure out, but that didn't seem right. He was easy! It was everyone else who had the weird quirks and odd ideas.

"Sometimes, Luffy, it's that kind of stuff that can make things... _complicated._ "

Luffy grunted, "Rayleigh thinks that, too. I don't get why. We can do what we want. I thought it was nice. Almost better than meat!"

Nami smirked, "Really? Better than meat?"

"Well, yeah. A different kind of better! It was fun! And Sanji ruined it."

She took a step toward him, her eyes searching his face. "He did, didn't he?"

"Can we do it again?" he asked hopefully. "When Sanji isn't around, maybe?"

She took another step, easily within kissing distance now, but she didn't lean toward him. She didn't move at all. Standing straight and tall, she said, "I don't go around kissing guys for fun, Luffy."

Disappointment formed a tight knot in his belly as bewilderment clouded his expression. Did that mean she didn't want to kiss him again? Or did she mean that she would only kiss _him_?

He'd never thought about her kissing someone else. He supposed that if he had caught Nami kissing Sanji the way Sanji had caught the two of them, he wouldn't have liked it very much. Luffy wouldn't have been angry, just... sad, maybe.

He wasn't sure.

It didn't feel like anything had really changed between them, yet something was different. Something mysterious and big and exciting. He wanted to explore it and see what kind of adventure it was. It seemed perfectly right and natural that (of course) Nami would be part of it because going on adventures with her was what he wanted to do. With her and all of their nakama.

And then he understood. Before she had a chance to clarify her statement, he knew what she meant. This was an adventure meant for just the two of them.

"I'll only kiss _you_ ," she continued as he grinned at her, toothy and wide. "Because it's you and no one else."

"Yeah!" he agreed a second before reaching for her. His arms circled around them both, pulling her flush against his body and he could feel her heart pounding against his chest. Their sudden closeness made her cheeks turn slightly pinkish as her eyes grew wide and he snickered.

"One more, really quick?" he asked.

The corner of her lip quirked upward as she relaxed against him and he took that as yes. He kissed her, mouth slightly open and eyes barely closed as his brain flooded with excitement. It was a different meeting the second time, with him leading and her leaning against him for balance and support, but it was just as nice as the first.

He wondered if every kiss would be different. It would be fun to find out.

 _~ the end ~_

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 **AN:** Yep. That's it. I kicked around a couple of ideas for expanding beyond this, but none of them seemed to really pan out into a story worthy of additional chapters. If I get an idea that I can hook into this fic and grow into something fun to write, I may continue. Otherwise, this is done.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Luffy is fun to write. Hopefully I did him justice. :)


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